THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO RING IN 2014 IN THE BIG EASY. WDSU ANCHOR RANDI ROUSSEAU HAS SOME OF THE TOP TRADITIONS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS... AND THE ONES THAT WON'T COST YOU A DIME. JACKSON SQUARE IS GOING TO BE GROUND ZERO IN NEW ORLEANS FOR ALL THE REVELRY RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR. AND THE BEST PART... IT'S A FREE SHOW. THOUSANDS WILL GATHER BELOW JAX BREWERY TO WATCH THE FLEUR DE LIS DROP AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT... FOLLOWED BY A FIREWORKS DISPLAY OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IN ADDITION TO THE NEWLY RENOVATED FLEUR DE LIS -- THE NEW YEAR BOARD WILL LIGHT THE CITY SKY -- AND OUR OWN BABY NEW YEAR... WEARING HIS PURPLE AND GOLD DIAPER, WILL BE PERCHED ATOP THE JAX ROOFTOP... COMPLETE WITH HIS SAINTS HELMET. THE FESTIVITIES START AROUND 9 P-M WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM JACKSON SQUARE INCLUDING ERIC LENDELL AND HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND... AND WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE LATE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS NEW YEARS DAY WITH A NUMBER OF NIGHTCLUBS CELEBRATING 2014 IN THE FRENCH QUARTER AND ON FRENCHMEN STREET. BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIGHT THE CROWDS IN THE QUARTER -- YOU CAN GET TICKETS TO "BIG NIGHT NEW ORLEANS' NEW YEAR'S EVE GALA. FOR 110 DOLLARS -- IT'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE EVENT -- SO NO NEED TO PURCHASE DRINKS ONCE YOU'RE IN -- AND INCLUDES MUSIC FROM FLOW TRIBE, COWBOY MOUTH AND KERMIT RUFFINS. THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE HYATT REGENCY FROM 9 UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AND FOR AS LITTLE AS 5 DOLLARS... YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO THE METROPOLITAN NIGHT CLUB FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA 2014. DOORS OPEN AT 9 PM -- AND WILL INCLUDE A CHAMPAGNE TOAST AND A NUMBER OF D-J'S. AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LITTLE ONES ... WHY NOT HEAD OVER TO THE LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM FOR THEIR COUNTDOWN TO 12 NOON -- COMPLETE WITH A BALLOON RELEASE AND CONFETTI TOSS. IT'S FROM 9:30 A-M UNTIL 2:30 PM -- 10 DOLLARS FOR NON-MEMBERS, 5 DOLLARS FOR MEMBERS. OR TAKE THE KIDS TO THE AUDUBON ZOO -- FOR ZOO YEAR'S EVE. THE FUN GET STARTED AT10:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM... FEATURING MUSIC, GAMES AND PRIZES. THE KIDS CAN COUNTDOWN TO NOON AND THEN, STAY FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY IMAGINATION MOVERS, BACK IN BLUE! PERFORMANCE TIME WILL BE 12:05 PM TO 12:45 PM. THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR AUDUBON MEMBERS OR WITH PAID ZOO ADMISSION ON YOUR SIDE I'M RANDI ROUSSEAU WDSU NEWS. LET'S HOPE THE WEATHER IS NICE

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO RING IN 2014 IN THE BIG EASY. WDSU ANCHOR RANDI ROUSSEAU HAS SOME OF THE TOP TRADITIONS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS... AND THE ONES THAT WON'T COST YOU A DIME. JACKSON SQUARE IS GOING TO BE GROUND ZERO IN NEW ORLEANS FOR ALL THE REVELRY RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR. AND THE BEST PART... IT'S A FREE SHOW. THOUSANDS WILL GATHER BELOW JAX BREWERY TO WATCH THE FLEUR DE LIS DROP AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT... FOLLOWED BY A FIREWORKS DISPLAY OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IN ADDITION TO THE NEWLY RENOVATED FLEUR DE LIS -- THE NEW YEAR BOARD WILL LIGHT THE CITY SKY -- AND OUR OWN BABY NEW YEAR... WEARING HIS PURPLE AND GOLD DIAPER, WILL BE PERCHED ATOP THE JAX ROOFTOP... COMPLETE WITH HIS SAINTS HELMET. THE FESTIVITIES START AROUND 9 P-M WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM JACKSON SQUARE INCLUDING ERIC LENDELL AND HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND... AND WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE LATE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS NEW YEARS DAY WITH A NUMBER OF NIGHTCLUBS CELEBRATING 2014 IN THE FRENCH QUARTER AND ON FRENCHMEN STREET. BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIGHT THE CROWDS IN THE QUARTER -- YOU CAN GET TICKETS TO "BIG NIGHT NEW ORLEANS' NEW YEAR'S EVE GALA. FOR 110 DOLLARS -- IT'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE EVENT -- SO NO NEED TO PURCHASE DRINKS ONCE YOU'RE IN -- AND INCLUDES MUSIC FROM FLOW TRIBE, COWBOY MOUTH AND KERMIT RUFFINS. THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE HYATT REGENCY FROM 9 UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AND FOR AS LITTLE AS 5 DOLLARS... YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO THE METROPOLITAN NIGHT CLUB FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA 2014. DOORS OPEN AT 9 PM -- AND WILL INCLUDE A CHAMPAGNE TOAST AND A NUMBER OF D-J'S. AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LITTLE ONES ... WHY NOT HEAD OVER TO THE LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM FOR THEIR COUNTDOWN TO 12 NOON -- COMPLETE WITH A BALLOON RELEASE AND CONFETTI TOSS. IT'S FROM 9:30 A-M UNTIL 2:30 PM -- 10 DOLLARS FOR NON-MEMBERS, 5 DOLLARS FOR MEMBERS. OR TAKE THE KIDS TO THE AUDUBON ZOO -- FOR ZOO YEAR'S EVE. THE FUN GET STARTED AT10:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM... FEATURING MUSIC, GAMES AND PRIZES. THE KIDS CAN COUNTDOWN TO NOON AND THEN, STAY FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY IMAGINATION MOVERS, BACK IN BLUE! PERFORMANCE TIME WILL BE 12:05 PM TO 12:45 PM. THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR AUDUBON MEMBERS OR WITH PAID ZOO ADMISSION ON YOUR SIDE I'M RANDI ROUSSEAU WDSU NEWS. LET'S HOPE THE WEATHER IS NICE